AS huge fans of “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” movies, my husband and I were thrilled by the prospect of traveling to New Zealand for our honeymoon as it gave us a chance to see the beautiful scenery we’d marveled at on the big screen.

And to ensure that we didn’t miss any of it, we hired an SUV for a trip that would see us travel around 200 kilometers a day — more than 3,000 kilometers in total.

There are two routes to drive along the South Island, and I chose the anti-clockwise one because most hotels in Tekapo — a common first stop on the clockwise route — were fully booked.

Armed with a Lonely Planet guide, a detailed map, a GPS, a WiFi transmitter and filled with excitement, we embarked on our two-week trip to Middle Earth on the second day of the Chinese Lunar New Year.

If I say so myself, my husband and I complement each other pretty well as traveling partners; while I’d made all the bookings and plans beforehand and handled the English-speaking duties, he drove and took care of the cooking.

February and early March mark the end of summer and the start of autumn in New Zealand and is a prime time for a visit due to pleasant temperatures and autumnal colors.

After flying from Shanghai to Auckland in the North Island, we transferred to Christchurch in the South Island and finally stepped onto the Tolkien-esque landscape late at night.

Driving in New Zealand presents its challenges for Chinese motorists as the cars are right-hand drive and drive on the left side of the road. And while getting used to that, you must also contend with many steep, narrow and windy roads with sharp turns.

Appropriately for a location of tales of wizards, dwarves and elves, the South Island is a magical land.

Escaping the frenetic bustle of Shanghai we were soon beguiled by the tranquil, postcard-perfect scenery, the wildlife, tasty local specialties and the prospect of exhilarating outdoor adventures.

But first things first — preparations. On arrival, we bought lighter clothing as it was hotter than we’d expected and stocked up on snacks, meat, cooking oil and bread, plus ice packs for storing frozen food.

The tourism information leaflets available free at New Zealand’s airports and iSITEs and local information centers also proved very useful — definitely recommended.

In my preparations, I’d viewed Kaikoura, the first stop of our trip on the east coast of the South Island, only as a site for whale watching. However, there’s more to Kaikoura’s charms than getting up close to leviathans.

The Maori name Kaikoura translates as “meal of crayfish”, and the region is famous for its crustaceans. It’s said that the first person to discover Kaikoura arrived tired and hungry, only to be revived by the abundance of crayfish he found to dine on.

Our whalewatching trip was a highlight as the captain tracked down two male sperm whales based on their sounds. They spouted water and slapped their tails as our boat approached, thrilling the tourists on board.

Kaikoura is home to an array of marine mammals and birdlife, and we saw dolphins, a colony of fur seals and a large number of seabirds during a coastal track walk.

All this fresh air makes you hungry, so we were delighted to tuck into crayfish and greenshell mussels at a Kaikoura barbecue stall recommended by Lonely Planet — one of the most delicious meals on the whole journey.

We then drove through the West Coast region of the Southern Alps on the Great Coast Road, arriving famished at Westport and Hokitika at almost 9pm, only to find no restaurants open. Fortunately, once we got to our motel, we were able to rustle up some instant noodles and cook food stored in our ice packs.

And while it may not have been the most sophisticated cuisine, we had seen the most dreamlike sunset as we traveled along the coast — a feast for the senses.

Along from Westport is Punakaiki, known for its pancake rocks and blowholes. To see them at their spouting best, go along when the tide is rising.

Amidst all this idyllic fun, we suffered a setback on our way to Franz Josef Glacier. We had planned to visit Okarito Lagoon but the GPS wrongly directed us to a narrow path.

Unfortunately, we hit a large tree trunk on the path, and suffered a puncture. We couldn’t find the jack and were unable to get a mobile phone signal to phone the car hire company.

Luckily a young man and his girlfriend from Okarito — home to approximately 30 permanent residents — who were passing stopped to help.

They drove us 19 kilometers to the glacier village to call our car rental company. But as it was after 6pm, the company couldn’t help.

Our good samaritan arranged for a mechanic to replace the tire, drove us back to our car and waited with us until the mechanic arrived and changed the tire.

We were deeply moved by his helpfulness. “Tell your car rental company that it’s rubbish,” he joked.

Next stop was Franz Josef Glacier — a highlight of our trip. With only a one-day stay, I was concerned about the weather, so booked a heli-hike trip.

The day we picked the perfect weather to explore what is widely regarded as the gem of New Zealand’s West Coast glaciers.

We took a short scenic flight trip and explored the glacier for two hours with our guide. I was nervous walking on the icy surface at first, but equipped with sturdy boot and crampons, quickly found my glacier feet.

Resort town Queenstown offers spectacular views of Lake Wakatipu and nearby mountains and extreme sports such as bungee jumping and sky diving. But we found it too crowded with noisy tourists so drove on.

A far more tranquil proposition was a 45-minute drive away to Glenorchy.

Surrounded by magnificent snow-capped mountains and pristine lakes and rivers, Glenorchy is indeed a gateway to the Middle Earth magic, as it was a location for the “The Lord of the Rings” movies and “The Chronicles of Narnia.”

We took a seven-hour Funyak trip in the Mount Aspiring National Park — combining wilderness jetboating with unique Funyak inflatable canoes.

We traveled along the Dart River and enjoyed a riverside picnic before returning to Glenorchy.

However, we were also assailed by hosts of irritating sandflies, leaving us with loads of red and very itchy bites. So don’t forget your insect repellent cream. Alas I was already sporting 50 bites before I sorted out our supply.

At Te Anau, we ventured into the Glowworm Caves, and held our breath at the sight of so many of the incandescent insects. My husband described it as “a Milky Way that’s within reach.”

Rather less magical was the rain that accompanied us on the journey to a two-hour-plus cruise trip on Milford Sound.

It is said the two-hour drive from Te Anau to Milford Sound is one of the finest drives in New Zealand, but it was a washout for us, with the downpour making it impossible to enjoy the beautiful view.

On a cruise there, a crew member told us that there are more that 200 days of rain a year in Milford Sound — joking that “expecting a sunny day there is like wishing for rain in the desert.” However, the rain did create a spectacular view from the boat, cascading down mountainsides like so many tiny waterfalls.

One of our most memorable experiences was watching little blue penguins in Oamaru, the largest town in North Otago. We arrived at almost 9pm, dumped our luggage at the motel and rushed to the harbor for a glimpse of the creatures that stand barely 30 centimeters tall.

Our wait proved worthwhile as before 10pm, two penguins appeared, and waddled right across the road!

As we stood, torches in hand, we saw more of the shy little birds — known as fairy penguins in Australia. There were penguins in burrows and penguins standing on the road.

They’re the world’s smallest penguins, and we saw five attacked by a cat as we were about to return to the motel. We chased the cat away, but still feared for the little birds.

Next stop was Dunedin, a beautiful and quiet city. We walked along (or rather climbed) Baldwin Street, the world’s steepest street.

Lake Pukaki and Lake Tekapo are renowned for their beautiful blue color. In Lake Tekapo, we had coffee at mountain-top Astro Cafe, the glass walls offering a 360-degree view across the Mackenzie Basin.

The biggest disappointment for me was the rain on the day we went to Aoraki/ Mount Cook — the highest mountain in New Zealand — which scuppered hiking plans, though the weather improved by sunset.

It was difficult to say goodbye to New Zealand’s South Island, which was as enchanting and magical as anything in Middle Earth.

“The best way to remember it is to keep images of the beauty in our minds rather than just in the camera,” said my husband. And in a solemn vow that any character from “The Lord of the Rings” would be proud of, he added: “But we’ll come here again.”